Principal Software Development Engineer

Zscaler•San Jose, CA

9h•Hybrid

About The Position

Zscaler accelerates digital transformation to ensure our customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. As an AI-forward enterprise, we are constantly pushing the envelope, leveraging the world’s largest security data lake to power our cloud-native Zero Trust Exchange platform. This innovation protects our customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Here, impact in your role matters more than title and trust is built on results. We say, impact over activity. We seek innovators who actively use AI to amplify their impact and who thrive in an environment where we leverage intelligent systems to stay ahead of evolving threats. We believe in transparency and value constructive, honest debate—we’re focused on getting to the best ideas, faster. We build high-performing teams that can make an impact quickly and with high quality. To do this, we are building a culture of execution centered on customer obsession, collaboration, ownership, and accountability. We value high-impact, high-accountability with a sense of urgency where you’re enabled to do your best work and embrace your potential. If you’re driven by purpose, thrive on solving complex challenges, and want to be part of the team that’s helping to secure the AI age, we invite you to bring your talents to Zscaler and help shape the future of cybersecurity. Role We are looking for a Principal Software Development Engineer to join our Engineering team in a hybrid capacity based in San Jose, CA, reporting to the Senior Director, Software Engineering. You will join the team that built the world’s largest cloud security platform from the ground up, enabling organizations worldwide to harness speed and agility with a cloud-first strategy. With more than 100 patents and 15 million users across 185 countries, you will bring your vision to a team of experts dedicated to enhancing our multitenant architecture and global footprint.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's (preferred) degree in Computer Science or a related field with 8+ years of experience in system engineering for high-performance networking
Expertise in Linux kernel-based networking (L2/L3), Stateful Firewall, Network drivers, QoS, and protocols like VLANs, DHCP, DNS, and Tunneling
Proficiency in C and Python programming languages with excellent problem-solving skills for debugging complex data path issues
Strong communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams in a high-accountability environment
Solid understanding of high-performance networking, security infrastructure, and the technical skills required for scalable systems design

Nice To Haves

Experience in user space data path technologies such as VPP, DPDK, SR-IOV, NFV, and SDN, alongside federal compliance certifications
Familiarity with cloud computing platforms like AWS or Azure and containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes
Expertise in advanced networking, virtualization, and security solutions

Responsibilities

Designing, developing, and optimizing the system, including networking and security features, to support high-performance applications
Ensuring federal certifications such as FIPS, FedRAMP, Common Criteria, and SOC2 compliance
Creating design and functional specification documents while performing unit testing and automation to ensure quality
Collaborating with cross-functional teams to identify and resolve system-related issues, optimize system performance, and innovate features
Applying strong software design principles to deliver reliable, scalable, and impactful product improvements